Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairman of Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC), was splashed with black paint during a meeting to finalize the results of the controversial October 26 parliamentary elections. The incident occurred as Kalandarishvili was preparing to announce the results, which have been widely criticized by opposition parties and civil society as fraudulent. The CEC confirmed that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, received 53.93% of the vote. In response to the election results, several opposition parties have announced a boycott of parliament, alleging systematic efforts by the CEC, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the judiciary to destroy evidence related to the alleged election fraud. The paint-throwing incident was reportedly carried out by David Kirtadze, a member of the opposition, as a protest against the election process and its perceived lack of transparency.
